Hex of Steel

When it gets good

Share of positive reviews by how many hours the reviewer had played when writing the review.

before it gets good opening up fully opened up

Based on all 936 Steam reviews in every language. Median playtime in a sample of 299 reviews: 26.8h for positive, 4.2h for negative. Almost every game is rated lower in the first 2–3 hours: that window includes refunds and quick first impressions. What matters is how deep the dip is and how fast the game recovers.

Where players quit

Share of players who started the game and reached each story milestone. 100% is the most common achievement (68.2% of owners), so people who bought the game and never launched it don't count.

Story milestones aren't labeled yet; all achievements are listed below.

All achievements (137)

• Counter Culture Toggle the NATO counters. 100%
• Make ’Em Run! Make an enemy unit retreat. 93%
• Starve ’Em Out Reduce the enemy’s fuel or ammo stockpile to 0 80%
• The Old Switcheroo Swap the positions of two units. 78%
• Bring the Heat Purchase a unit with a flamethrower. 72%
• Bob the Destroyer Bomb a city or demolish a bridge. 70%
• War Chest — Bronze Hold 5,000 money in the bank. 63%
• Science! Start researching a unit for the first time. 62%
• Motor Pool, Go! Motorize a unit for the first time. 61%
• Watch Your Step! Step on a land mine. 54%
• Track Attack! Mechanize a unit for the first time. 52%
• Boots on the Ground! Perform your first paratrooper drop. 50%
• Warmonger Declare war on another country using the diplomacy menu. 50%
• Workshop Wanderer Subscribe to at least one item in the workshop. 44%
• Casualty Report — Bronze Lose 10 units. 43%
• Generous Benefactor Transfer any of your units to an ally. 42%
• Strength in numbers Invite another country to join your faction using the diplomacy menu. 40%
• World Tour — Bronze Move a single unit onto 100 different tiles. 37%
• Eureka! Complete your first research. 33%
• White Flag Moment Make an enemy unit surrender. 32%
• War Chest — Silver Hold 10,000 money in the bank. 32%
• Crush the Rebellion Destroy an enemy partisan unit. 30%
• Ship Killer Equip a plane with a torpedo. 30%
• Horsepower (Actual Horses) Tow artillery or anti‑air weapon with horses for the first time. 30%
• Der Krieg ist verloren Reach 0 manpower. 29%
• To Infinity and Beyond! Equip a plane with a drop tank. 28%
• Emergency Landing Build an airfield. 27%
• Silent Service Sink a ship with a submarine. 27%
• Checkmate! Eliminate an enemy commander. 25%
• Money launderer Send any amount of money to any other player using the diplomacy menu. 25%
• Guns of the Navy Destroy an enemy ground unit with a battleship. 24%
• International Shopper Purchase a unit from another country. 23%
• More Tanks! More Guns! Build a factory. 22%
• First Stripe Assign your first hero to one of your units. 22%
• Bob the Builder Repair a destroyed bridge. 21%
• One‑Unit Army — Bronze Have a single unit destroy 10 enemy units. 21%
• Now That’s Rocket Science Equip a plane with rockets. 21%
• Terror of the Sea — Bronze Sink 5 enemy ships with a single ship. 17%
• Battleship Bane Sink an enemy battleship. 16%
• War Chest — Gold Hold 30,000 money in the bank. 16%
• Air Ace — Bronze Shoot down 5 enemy aircraft with one of yours. 15%
• Gandhi Make peace with another country using the diplomacy menu. 15%
• It’s 1914 Again Build a trench tile. 14%
• Welcome to the Front Complete the Tutorial scenario. 14%
• Casualty Report — Silver Lose 50 units. 13%
• Oil Rush Build a refinery. 13%
• Carrier Killer Sink an enemy carrier. 12%
• Scenario Smith Create and save your first scenario in the editor. 11%
• World Tour — Silver Move a single unit onto 500 different tiles. 9.8%
• Terror of the Sea — Silver Sink 10 enemy ships with a single ship. 9.5%
• Sauron’s Eye Own 10 radars. 8.8%
• Mine Sweeper Clear a minefield. 8.5%
• Flag Collector — Bronze Capture 100 Victory Points in a single scenario. 8.2%
• Scraping the Barrel Select the highest conscription policy. 8.1%
• Air Ace — Silver Shoot down 10 enemy aircraft with one of yours. 6.9%
• Field Promotion: Rank 5 Reach commander rank 5 in any campaign scenario. 6.6%
• Terror of the Sea — Gold Sink 15 enemy ships with a single ship. 6.2%
• Casualty Report — Gold Lose 100 units. 5.9%
• One‑Unit Army — Silver Have a single unit destroy 50 enemy units. 5.1%
• Air Ace — Gold Shoot down 15 enemy aircraft with one of yours. 4.5%
• Tank Buster — Bronze Destroy 5 enemy tanks with a single anti‑tank unit. 4.5%
• It’s Alive! Create a unit in the Unit Editor. 4.4%
• World Tour — Gold Move a single unit onto 1000 different tiles. 4.3%
• War Effort Resupply an ally using convoys for the first time. 4.1%
• Tyrant Select the Forced Labor policy. 3.8%
• Desperate Times, Desperate Measures Recruit a Volkssturm unit. 3.7%
• Big Cat Hunter — Bronze Destroy 5 Tigers, Panthers, or Elefants. 3.5%
• Field Promotion: Rank 10 Reach commander rank 10 in any campaign scenario. 3.4%
• Flag Collector — Silver Capture 250 Victory Points in a single scenario. 3.4%
• Wunderwaffe Buy a V1 for the first time. 3.2%
• Share the Secret Plans Transfer one of your prototype units to an ally. 2.5%
• Field Promotion: Rank 15 Reach commander rank 15 in any campaign scenario. 2.1%
• Tank Buster — Silver Destroy 10 enemy tanks with a single anti‑tank unit. 1.9%
• Big Cat Hunter — Silver Destroy 10 Tigers, Panthers, or Elefants. 1.8%
• Convoy Killer Sink an enemy convoy. 1.6%
• Flag Collector — Gold Capture 500 Victory Points in a single scenario. 1.5%
• One‑Unit Army — Gold Have a single unit destroy 100 enemy units. 1.5%
• Poor souls Kill a unit using a V1. 1.5%
• Tank Buster — Gold Destroy 15 enemy tanks with a single anti‑tank unit. 1.2%
• Spanish Civil War - Axis Win the Spanish Civil War scenario as the Axis. 1.2%
• They bite the dust Defeat the Axis on the huge map of North Africa. 1.0%
• Successful Afrikakorps Win the Afrikakorps as the Axis on the huge map of North Africa. 1.0%
• Gone but Not Forgotten Lose a hero for the first time. 1.0%
• Anzio 1944 - Allies Win the Battle of Anzio scenario as the Allies. 0.9%
• Berlin 1945 - Allies Win the Berlin 1945 scenario as the Allies. 0.7%
• Europe 1939 - Axis Win the Europe 1939 scenario as the Axis. 0.7%
• France 1940 - Axis Win the France 1940 scenario as the Axis. 0.7%
• Pacific 1937 - Axis Win the Pacific 1937 scenario as the Axis. 0.7%
• Stalingrad 1942 - Axis Win the Stalingrad 1942 scenario as the Axis. 0.7%
• Bulge 1944 - Allies Win the Battle of the Bulge 1944 scenario as the Allies. 0.6%
• Eastern Front 1941 - Axis Win the Eastern Front 1941 scenario as the Axis. 0.6%
• France 1940 - Allies Win the France 1940 scenario as the Allies. 0.6%
• Big Cat Hunter — Gold Destroy 20 Tigers, Panthers, or Elefants. 0.6%
• Spanish Civil War - Allies Win the Spanish Civil War scenario as the Allies. 0.6%
• Overlord 1944 - Allies Win the Operation Overlord 1944 scenario as the Allies. 0.4%
• Poland 1939 - Axis Win the Poland 1939 scenario as the Axis. 0.4%
• Anzio 1944 - Axis Win the Battle of Anzio scenario as the Axis. 0.3%
• Berlin 1945 - Axis Win the Berlin 1945 scenario as the Axis. 0.3%
• Bulge 1944 - Axis Win the Battle of the Bulge 1944 scenario as the Axis. 0.3%
• Continuation War 1941 Allies Win the Continuation War 1941 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• Continuation War 1941 Axis Win the Continuation War 1941 scenario as the Axis. 0.3%
• Continuation War 1944 Allies Win the Continuation War 1944 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• Europe 1939 - Allies Win the Europe 1939 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• Europe 1941 - Axis Win the Europe 1941 scenario as the Axis. 0.3%
• Italy 1943 - Allies Win the Italy 1943 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• North Africa 1942 - Allies Win the North Africa 1942 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• North Africa 1942 - Axis Win the North Africa 1942 scenario as the Axis. 0.3%
• Pacific 1937 - Allies Win the Pacific 1937 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• Stalingrad 1942 - Allies Win the Stalingrad 1942 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• Stalingrad 1943 - Allies Win the Stalingrad 1943 scenario as the Allies. 0.3%
• Winter War - Axis Win the Winter War scenario as the Axis. 0.3%
• Continuation War 1944 Axis Win the Continuation War 1944 scenario as the Axis 0.1%
• Eastern Front 1941 - Allies Win the Eastern Front 1941 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Eastern Front 1943 - Allies Win the Eastern Front 1943 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Eastern Front 1943 - Axis Win the Eastern Front 1943 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Eastern Front 1944 - Allies Win the Eastern Front 1944 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Eastern Front 1944 - Axis Win the Eastern Front 1944 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Europe 1941 - Allies Win the Europe 1941 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Europe 1942 - Allies Win the Europe 1942 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Europe 1942 - Axis Win the Europe 1942 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Europe 1943 - Allies Win the Europe 1943 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Europe 1943 - Axis Win the Europe 1943 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Europe 1944 - Allies Win the Europe 1944 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Europe 1944 - Axis Win the Europe 1944 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Italy 1943 - Axis Win the Italy 1943 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Overlord 1944 - Axis Win the Operation Overlord 1944 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Pacific 1941 - Allies Win the Pacific 1941 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Pacific 1941 - Axis Win the Pacific 1941 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Pacific 1942 - Allies Win the Pacific 1942 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Pacific 1942 - Axis Win the Pacific 1942 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Pacific 1945 - Allies Win the Pacific 1945 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Pacific 1945 - Axis Win the Pacific 1945 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Poland 1939 - Allies Win the Poland 1939 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Poland 1945 - Allies Win the Poland 1945 scenario as the Allies. 0.1%
• Poland 1945 - Axis Win the Poland 1945 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Stalingrad 1943 - Axis Win the Stalingrad 1943 scenario as the Axis. 0.1%
• Winter War - Allies Win the Winter War scenario as the Allies. 0.1%